


saturn in infrared

by kaumari



Series: time is the change from stardust to bones [7]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Gen, Introspection, Space Metaphors, oikawa waxes poetic about saturn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:01:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26395306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaumari/pseuds/kaumari
Summary: in which saturn is a metaphor for everything tooru wants to be.
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime & Oikawa Tooru
Series: time is the change from stardust to bones [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1889728
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	saturn in infrared

**Author's Note:**

> reupload from [twitter!](https://twitter.com/kaumaridevi/status/1303102897975185408?s=20)  
> this could've been romantic iwaoi but i left it vague on purpose so do with it what you will

Saturn. Sixth planet from the sun, second largest. A gas giant adorned with ringlets of ice and rock, luminous in the night sky even to the naked eye. The keeper of over 60 moons, all in unwilling and unconcerned orbit. The etymology of the name comes from the Roman god of agriculture and harvests, the counterpart of the Greek titan of time.

Funny, Tooru thinks, that Saturn, so beautiful and majestic, is always overshadowed by Jupiter. That despite all of its flashiness, despite being the jewel of the solar system, it’s sidelined for simply being smaller. Funny, he thinks, and he isn’t laughing at all.

From the moment he’d read about it, seven years old and wide-eyed with wonder for the secrets the universe held from him, he’d been enamored by the giant of unimaginable size somewhere in the endless sky. Omnipresent, watching over all of humanity with indifference. He liked to think he’d be able to catch a glimpse of it, floating in the sky with that iridescent brilliance. He never did. The night sky of Sendai would never reveal the hushed beauty he searched for.

At seventeen, outside Aoba Johsai’s gym, he’d tilt his head upward, his gaze catching on the stars above, so far away they were nothing more than glittering dots. How futile, he thought, to aim for something so distant it would kill you before you reached it. How pointless. The stars are merciless, shining with their cruelty and bathing Tooru in that same light.

Iwaizumi shoved his shoulder. “Oi, are you done staring into space? You’ve already kept us two hours past the end of practice.”

“Iwa-chan, you should be grateful to me!” he cried dramatically, one hand already instinctively pressed over his heart. “I’m getting you so much extra practice! I’m the one with the keys.”

“And you hold that over my head constantly so that I stay behind with you,” Iwaizumi said, eyes narrowed balefully. “Let’s go.”

“Alright, alright.” Losing himself in the stars wasn’t nearly as interesting as riling up his best friend.

“Your jump serve is coming along well,” Iwaizumi started after they were far enough away that they couldn’t see the high school anymore. Tooru simply hummed his agreement, his easy smile tinged with steel. “I’m pretty sure it’ll be ready for the Interhigh qualifiers.”

“Are you saying you actually have faith in me, Iwa-chan?” he teased, fully expecting to get yelled at for being an annoyance. Instead, Iwaizumi knocked their shoulders together and snorted.

“As if I ever had a choice. You’re not someone I’d bet against.” Contemplative silence followed as Tooru tried to understand Iwaizumi’s confession. 

“You’re confusing, Iwa-chan.”

“Stop saying that, it’s annoying me.”

“Iwa-chan! Iwa-chan! Gah, Iwa-chan no!”

At twenty-seven, Saturn is a lucky charm. As much as he’s comforted by knowing he’s Jupiter in Hajime's eyes, he’s gotten comfortable with Saturn. He’s not the biggest, but he’s the boldest. He’s the one who rises when everyone else sinks. There’s something poetic about that. 

Argentina steps on the court, and even from across the net, he knows Hajime has caught sight of the ring on his hand. It’s a flat band, the only type of jewelry they allow, and thin enough that he isn’t bothered by it when he plays. He knows Hajime recognizes it—it’s the one he sent after all, delivered on the twenty-seventh birthday they’d been unable to meet on thanks to a global pandemic. On the inside, a custom engraved Saturn presses into his skin, imprinting him with the image of a goal he still strives for every day.

Saturn. Only a planet, not a star. Yet it glows like a brilliant jewel, all its icy rings reflecting the myriad of light that comes its way. Oikawa Tooru, taking this to heart, reflecting all the talent and passion of his team into one focused image you can see with your naked eye.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/kaumaridevi) \+ [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/kaumaridevi)!


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